Art & Inspiration A cool roadside attraction!

What an amazing structure!!!!
It only took 43 years for me to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge Alcatraz off in the distance.

The bridge weighs the same as 6 Queen Mary’s.

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LBCD 2018
Hey LBCD,

Nice history and photos. This is the "ALL TIME" Cool Roadside Attraction!!! You had a great vacation trip…that is for sure. It is synonymous with things, California. That bridge has been a symbol for our family and my little brain since I was a tiny kid. This city stuck out in our vacation travels from a very early age, driving around in that big 1949 and 52 Buick sedans of my dad’s. My brother and I even tried to make a model of it while combining our two, big, Erector sets.

But, if something bad happened at our old 1949 Westside Long Beach house(s), I instantly, heard from my mom: (standard parent, amazed, statement) “That is bad, my son would not have done that, so who are you??? My Answer: “I am George, from San Franscico.”

To this day, it is a running joke when we go to restaurants and/or have to leave a name somewhere… "reservations for George…party of…" That was fine as most people cannot pronounce my real name and/or spell it correctly ! Since being called Georgie Porgie and other great names, I am used to the label. In our local Mexican restaurant, I am called Jorge.

I was impressed with this bridge and was afraid to walk, let alone drive across it for the first time. When we drove, but did not walk the first time, it was a breeze. The second time, we walked to the center and looked down and out toward Alcatraz. (View like your photo.)
LBCD 2018
Jnaki

Jump up 17 years later and in 1966, my wife and I walked over the whole bridge to the Sausalito side and back. The whizzing cars were a little bothersome, but the sidewalk had a barrier to protect us somewhat.
1966vnak
1968
AM
PM 1968
As fast as the fog rolls in on a daily basis, it also rolls out quite fast on any given day. Sunny bridge photos are the surprise that awaits.

What an amazing structure!!!!
It only took 43 years for me to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge Alcatraz off in the distance.

The bridge weighs the same as 6 Queen Mary’s.

Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

Click to expand...

1968
2018 LBCD

Like minds for new/old photos.

Hey LBCD,

On your recent visit to San Francisco, you weren’t able to get by the famous Golden Gate Park at the end of Haight Street by chance? That was one of our favorite hangout places during the “Summer of Love” era, 1966-68.” College kids drawn to the fire…etc. seemed to be the mode for the day.

Whenever we visited San Francisco, that park was a place we always went to for a picnic lunch and a nap. The Haight Asbury neighborhood ended up at this huge park. The shops catered to the visiting kids, adults and whoever made the trek to this “hot spot” on the bay. Social acceptance was in full force, here.

In its heyday, the place was jumping with sounds, laughter and music via bands or guitars in sync. The last time we were there, it was eerie quiet with a few people having a picnic lunch and fewer people on the famous Haight St.

Jnaki

“Times, they are a changing…”

“The subculture exposed the Haight-Ashbury district to enormous national attention and popularized the counterculture movement across the country and around the world. The neighborhood's fame reached its peak as it became the haven for a number of psychedelic rock performers and groups of the time.

The Summer of Love attracted a wide range of people of various ages: teenagers and college students drawn by their peers and the allure of joining a cultural utopia; middle-class vacationers; and even partying military personnel from bases within driving distance.”
vnak 1967
2014

One of the most unusual and somewhat famous beaches in So Cal is called "1000 Steps Beach." It is located near 9th street and PCH in South Laguna Beach. From back in the early 1960s, it has had a “lore” about it being the most famous “date oriented” beach in So Cal. We knew of this place during high school cruising/dating days. It was an exciting place to go and it was in a different locale than Bixby Knolls/Belmont Shore.

We used to stop for breaks between surf trips up and down the coast and on flat surf days, just because it was the famous, "1000 Steps Beach." Besides, one of our favorite, frequent surf spots, Salt Creek Beach, was only a few miles South.

But, the lore was at night, this place is magical with those famous “moonlit walks on the shoreline…” It isn’t a great place to surf as Laguna has better beaches for surfing. But, as far as atmosphere at night, there was no other, for us teenagers… “Lets cruise down to 1000 Steps in Laguna…was the thing to do in high school.” (an 80 mile round trip that was famous at our school’s Friday/Saturday night activities.)Jnaki

Are there a 1000 steps? After going down and up, you would think there were a 1000 steps. The count is from 250 plus or minus, depending on who is counting and where it starts/stops. But, it is a long way down and very steep coming back up after a full day’s/night’s worth of beach activities.

One thing of note: The far reaches of the beach nearest the cliff side is a noted area of topless and semi nude sunbathing areas. It is illegal, but it has been know to be very popular in this relatively, secluded, South Coast area of Laguna Beach. P.S. In the early days, there was no stop light and limited, street parking with no crosswalk. Today, there is at least, a stop light with a certified crosswalk, still, limited street parking. But, once you get a rare, street parking spot, get ready for a dangerous walk along the parked cars, in a narrow dirt pathway or in the street.At any rate, it is a real, Cool,(hot) Roadside Attraction

For hot rods/customs:To be noticed, find a Coast Highway street parking spot. Summer time traffic is at its peak down this portion of the highway. For safety, find a parking spot in the upper neighborhood, not blocking a driveway.

A vacation sight seeing trip to California should include Yosemite National Park, for sure. But,this vacation should also include a drive through the famous Tioga Pass going East and on to the Mammoth Mountain Area with the Devils Post Pile Formation. The whole country forested area includes many different stopping places like Mono Lake and Convict Lake. But, the Mammoth Mountain Area just has some unusual stuff for the travelers.

Many campsites are available, but so are the myriad of rental cabins for those leery of the tent camping facilities. During trout season, it is cold, but the summer time fishing still brings in tons of trout for every meal. Sometimes, because of the way the mountain range is situated, snow skiing can be extended into May/June. There is usually snow on the shadow side of each mountain elevations, just above the hidden lakes and streams.

Jnaki
One of our last family trips was to the Mammoth Mountain Area. We could not sway our dad to go to the beach for the last family trip…He is/was a die hard trout fisherman that provided secret spots in each lake and plenty of trout for meals. Our mom insisted on a cabin instead of a tent.
Of course, being that it was the last trip, we had to hike into the Devil’s Post Pile Area to see this wonder of nature. All of the family made it easily to the actual post pile. It is a .5 mile walk for the average person… not hard, but water, rest and snacks are necessary. My brother and I made the extra 20-25 minute uphill climb to the top of the Devil’s Post Pile for a tremendous view. There were a few people up there as that climb is not for everyone. Thanks for that film, dad…The teenage boys did just fine on that climb up and across the cliff top seeing the extended views all around.

“Devils Postpile NM contains one of the best examples of columnar basalt (the result of rapid lava cooling) in the country. One can stand near the base, looking upward at the 60 ft high nearly-perfect symmetrical columns, or hike above to stand on top of the volcanic rock's hexagonal geometric forms. Glacial polish adds to their beauty. The Devils Postpile Formation is simply amazing. Because of winter snow conditions in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Devils Postpile has limited visitation times.

Usually, the park opens in mid-June and closes by mid-October, but can vary from year to year. During peak summer season, the use of a mandatory shuttle bus is required to visit the park. The Reds Meadow/Devils Postpile shuttle begins at the Mammoth Mountain Main Lodge where plenty of parking is available.”

VANCOUVER, WA “Remembrance Wall” MURAL.Approximately 600 feet of historic murals of foreign wars, from WW2 to Vietnam.Hello,
On one of our Pacific Northwest road trips, we had several places to stay as a center point for our spider web journeys. Staying in one central place allows short trips away, up to several hours out and back. Just over the Columbia River going North on I-5 freeway, there is the old town of Vancouver, WA. It is/was one of those places that is separated from the big city. But, it has a couple of big bridges for access to all points of the sprawling metropolis of Portland, OR. Within Portland, there are tons of bridges crossing the Willamette River for access to all points of the city.

It has lots of history, runs along the Columbia River for almost 15 miles of waterfront and is a respite from the goings on of the big city, Portland, a bridge distance away to the south. As you walk down the riverfront walkway looking at the bridge connecting Portland to Vancouver one wonders with the fast moving Columbia River current, it sure looked like long, slow, up current sail on a sailboat of any kind.A leaning river buoy fighting the strong Columbia River current. This view is gone, since the resort hotel (Red Lion, Vancouver) is now closed and being rejuvenated for more industrial shipping oriented activity along the waterfront.

For the leisure 1 hour walk up and back along the waterfront, there was an older sailboat fighting the current. They only went a ¼ of the distance from the bridge to the stopping point that we walked. We had dinner at a waterfront restaurant and then walked back to the bridge and it was still in the general area near the I-5 bridge. In sailing, it is the journey, not the destination that makes it so enjoyable. But, when walkers are faster than sailboat on the water, it takes some getting used to sail this fast flowing river for enjoyment.

Jnaki
There were remnants of the 1825 history of Fort Vancouver, WA at the Hudson Bay Company headquarters.

The old downtown Vancouver area is well, old. The restored Fort Vancouver takes up most of the waterfront near the I-5 Bridge. The most serene thing is the quiet war memorial wall “Remembrance Wall” paintings along the railroad berm and the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars Plaza, just up the street from the river.
Right along the road for the “Cool Roadside Attraction.”“Vancouver, Washington's "Remembrance Wall" was painted in 2005 to honor military veterans from World War II to Vietnam. Commissioned by the Clark County Mural Society, the mural is located just west of the Railroad underpass at Columbia and 4th streets, on the north side of a 550-foot-long retaining wall owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe. In 2015 a panel, painted by Guy Drennan and commemorating the Korean War, was added to the wall.”

"This mural, the largest in Washington State was conceived and painted in 2005. It was painted by a Portland group called SubM2. The intention was to coordinate with Celebrate Freedom, the event to honor WW2 veterans. The structure of the artwork was partly a time continuum, partly geographic book ended by posters showing the beginning and end of the individual veteran’s sacrifice."

This was posted in the Nitro Revival Thread, but deserves one post on the Cool Attraction Thread, just because, it is one. Also, it is the last “Cruising Grand” event for the year in Escondido, CA. (Northern San Diego)

For 6 months, every Friday night in Escondido, hot rodders and cruisers gather for a cool cruise down the main street, Grand Ave. (Clean up your car, show it off, and park for a weekly car show.) At the end of the season, the longtime drag racers come into town for a display of their race cars.

There have been display variations from static fire ups of those huge motors, a rolling display including push trucks down the street. A city center intersection is/was closed to showcase the fuel burning at night. Whatever the scenario, it is a spectacle and a very cool attraction in So Cal for race fans and the general public.

Jnaki

The smell of burning nitro is in the air… dragsters, cool night air, fuel burning aroma, eyes watering, all of these things will remind everyone of being at Lions Dragstrip in those cool evenings with the misty, ocean influence.

Earlier posting:Hello,
5 days to go until you can hear the roar of the fuel race cars fire up in the little town of Escondido in San Diego County. It is scheduled for the last, Cruising Grand event every year. It closes the season of cruising down the Grand Ave every Friday night since April, until the end of September. The sleek fuel dragsters and a few roadsters/coupes show up, clean up, and get pushed down the street with their engines blazing.

The fuel smell is in the air and eyes will be watering again. The ears, well cover them if they are sensitive, as it is very LOUD! Get there early to see all of the cool crusing cars and the hot rods taking their turn down the main street. Then as the sun sets, the big nitro FED race cars (and the Sidewinder) take their turns firing up with the fumes in the air. It is a scene from the late nights and in the eliminations races at the dragstrips all over the country back in the mid 60s. It was push starts and fire ups prior to the finals for the evening.

Jnaki

These Cacklefests are very popular and if there is one in your neck of the USA, don’t miss it. The memories, the sound of the FEDs firing up, the definite smell of the fuel and the eyes watering, all make it like we were all stepping back for a fun time at the dragstrips all over the country.

This is one of the best free shows in So Cal. It will have the “best of the best” firing up for the Cool Roadside Attraction…

Member

The town where I reside happens to have one of the last of the "roadside attractions". I think it might be around for a while because it's on an interstate and not a state highway. You do have to take the right exit onto the feeder road to get to it. You enter through the snake house and through that to the fairly nice zoo in back. It's worth the stop and worth making it part of a cruise itinerary (about a dozen cars, over that gets a little tight). It's on I-35 between Austin and San Antonio..... New Braunfels, Texas.View attachment 3761753

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Wizard, Ray Wiley Hubbard sings a song called Snake farm, I believe it may be the one in your photo. I found this on YouTube a long time ago, and there was a longer version that gave a little history but I think it is no longer on YouTube

ALLIANCE MEMBER

Wizard, Ray Wiley Hubbard sings a song called Snake farm, I believe it may be the one in your photo. I found this on YouTube a long time ago, and there was a longer version that gave a little history but I think it is no longer on YouTube
Bill

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Oh, yes. I know the song and the singer well. And you are right, the song is about the "roadside attraction" that I posted. New Braunfels, Texas, where I live, is a haven for professional musicians like Ray Wiley Hubbard and attractions like the Snake Farm. This town is a destination for tourists, campers, tubers, bikers, music lovers, and the spring-fed water parkers, et al. I enjoy seeing the music played live and on our local radio station which features many of the local artists such as Ray Wiley Hubbard. I play the station in both the house and car as my default setting.

From the 405 Freeway South to Orange County, off to the right is a bright blue building that sticks out like a sore thumb. The surrounding areas are low to the horizon, but this blue pyramid juts up many stories high. It was started in 1992 on the campus of Long Beach State College as a replacement for the antiquated main gymnasium. It was 25 years after our fabulous time at LBSC. Back then the latest thing was the new student center…times have changed.

Having been in that old gymnasium as a student and later as a parent, one immediately noticed that some high schools have better facilities than that old college one. There were many famous Rock and Jazz concerts in that old gym during the rocking 60s. But for spectators and teams, it was antiquated. Now, it is a Cool Roadside Attraction seen from far away.

Going down the coast in a plane headed for Cabo San Lucas from LAX? Look to the left and this shiny blue reflection of a building design pops up just inland from the Alamitos Bay Harbor inlet. Landing at the Long Beach airport? If you have a left side window seat, check out the Pyramid…It sticks out like a sore thumb on the Southeast Long Beach landscape.

Jnaki

The Pyramid is located in the middle of the whole Long Beach State College Campus. It is about 3 miles from Belmont Shore and the annual September, 2nd Street car show, now in its 29th year. The ocean is nearby, the great surf spots in Seal Beach and Huntington Beach are minutes away to the South. And, for you hot rod/drag race fanatics, the famous/not so famous, lonely, unofficial, Westminster Blvd. “Dragstrip” is also very close by, cutting through the Naval Weapons property.

It was a fabulous place to finish college back in those day. The campus is in a different atmosphere these days. There are still college kids wandering around, but the facilities and curriculum are some of the best on the West Coast.“The Walter Pyramid was designed by Don Gibbs and built by the Nielson Construction Company of San Diego. The building of Walter Pyramid cost approximately $22 million. Each side of the perimeter of Walter Pyramid measures 345 feet (105 m), making it a mathematically true pyramid. It is one of only three true pyramid-style buildings in the United States, the others being Luxor Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada and Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Walter Pyramid rises 18 stories above the Long Beach skyline and its exterior is uniformly clad in sheets of dark-blue corrugated aluminum.

Name change:
On March 5, 2005, Long Beach State officially renamed The Pyramid to Walter Pyramid in honor of Mike and Arline Walter. The Walters were given this recognition for a $2.1 million donation given to the university. In addition to being the vice-president of Levi Strauss & Co., Mike Walter was also a dean for Long Beach State’s College of Business Administration from 1993 to 2000.”The interior is like a giant erector set up. The seats are adjustable to provide additional playing areas, practicing courts or surfaces. There is plenty of parking and the grounds provide a great photo background for hot rods and customs.“So you can do just about anything inside of the Pyramid. But, the focus Sept 15th was on what you could do on the outside. (Down the sides, to be exact). As part of a training exercise, emergency responders rappelled down the side of “big blue” at the annual READY Long Beach event.

They’d been gearing up for it during the week, installing the proper rigging, applying safety gear and making test runs. Just how long does it take to scramble down the side of a pyramid? Saturday’s action proved it takes about 15 minutes (with a little practice).”

Member

A PHOTO of my grandson in front of the big red Apple. It's billed as the world's largest Apple. {? } It's on the front lawn of an old mansion. That General Sheridan use for his headquarters during the civil war. It was placed there from a float used in the very first Apple blossom parade in 1924

Member

Yes, wide in turn 2 you end up in the Mohawk river (The River club)
There was a cemetery off turn 3 (Cemetery Turn) it was moved in the mid 70's
My dad remembers cars running wide an ending up in the cemetery.
Dan Buanno in the river

Hello,High on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, lies the Wayfarers Chapel, also known as "The Glass Church." It is located in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. It is noted for its unique modern architecture and location on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the late 40s and completed by 1951. There have been changes made to the surrounding structures over the years.

“The 3.5 acres site and Wayfarers Chapel’s cornerstone was dedicated on July 16, 1949 by the Reverend Dr. Leonard I. Tafel of Philadelphia, then president of the national Swedenborgian denomination. The completed Chapel was dedicated in 1951 as a memorial to Emanuel Swedenborg, theologian and scientist from the 1700’s. Natural SanctuaryWhen the Chapel was completed in 1951 it stood alone like a precious jewel on a deserted dusty knoll overlooking the blue Pacific. Today what you are looking at is a “tree chapel.” Chapel architect Lloyd Wright had been inspired by the cathedral-like majesty of the redwood trees in northern California. The redwood trees that surround Wayfarers Chapel are forming living walls and roof to a natural sanctuary encased in glass with view of the surrounding forest and nearby Pacific Ocean.

These are typical traits of Organic Architecture, which aims at using nature as the framework and regards the space inside as sacred. Lloyd Wright’s design of Wayfarers Chapel is the perfect combination of nature and architectural genius and is one of the foremost examples of organic architecture. Wayfarers Chapel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.”In our high school cruising days and a few dark nights in college, this cruise on Palos Verdes Dr. South is the main road from San Pedro, all along the coast towards Torrance Beach to the Northwest. It was/is one of the nicest drives in all of the long, California coastline areas.

While we were in high school, there were rumors of the best views to see the so- called: “Submarine Races…” Of course later on, the secret was out that it was just an impressive place to take a date on a slow cruise. The chapel itself is inspiring and immediately, your date will pop up that she would like to get married there. What???Since the early days of visiting the chapel in our family Buick sedans, my mom had always wanted one of the brothers to get married in this glass church. Ha! In 1967, we had been in this area on a lot of day and night cruises. My date (later, wife) and I had visited this place many times. We even looked into getting married there, but on the time line of a summer wedding, this place was booked up for months. Pop culture:

This serene compound has been featured in many TV shows and movies, including the Rockford Files, one of our favorite car involved shows. It has also been featured on the drama series: The OC, 90210, Revenge, and Endless Love. The OC? In Orange County Newport Beach 34 miles south?

The Wayfarer’s Chapel is located in Los Angeles County, but most of the OC series was filmed in the South Bay area from Palos Verdes to Marina Del Rey. The magic of television and reality makes it happen. To non-So Cal residents, it could have been high on a hill in Orange County, since it was thrown in a photo array, during actual Orange County scenic shots.

Jnaki

If you are out on a boat near the coastline of Palos Verdes Peninsula, this famous chapel can be seen from the ocean. You would have to know where it is in relation to the tall cliffs along the shoreline. But, if you are looking at the view…it is impressive to say the least.

The grounds, well, most girls liked this place and get nostalgic immediately with thoughts of the future. It has been a popular stop over on those recent, Palos Verdes Hot Rod Cruise Events, as we have seen here on the threads.